I think it would be best to consider them drill matched. None of these parts are exactly mass-produced; they are each individuals. When you buy new rods, they come I drilled, and you use the pistons as the guide to drill them. Haven’t bought new pistons, but wonder if they come underlined also.

Little guide for the rookies like me, I found on the top part there are 2 indentations that if aligned will make match the bolt holes.



One more thing, do not direct press the assembly under any circumstances. The inner shaft when fully compressed to match the holes will stick a little bit out of the piston, further pressing will damage the shaft. I had to fabricate an adapter with a lathe to compress the piston ring, and let the inner shaft to stick out. Failure to do so will bend the inner shaft I'm saying this cos that's what happened to me. Luckily it was just a minimum bend and I was able to straight it up.

is there a maule version, fitting a controllable cowl flap on the bottom to gain control of exiting air flow?

mauleairinc does not have a controlable cowl egress door, however there are individuals in Canada and US who have come up with good ones in the past.
Apart from the frigid zones, proper insulation of the cabin as has been addressed in past on here, and correctly operating heat muffs, hoses, and firewall valves will keep a Maule cabin plenty warm. Good baffling and cooling air egress and ingress, and on O360 Lycs baffling of oil cooler will control engine temps quite well.

I've seen a bear hawk installing a 540, with cowl flap and they seem to do a good job. My 540 is with 260hp, and will often fly together with slower planes in hot summer days, so was thinking that would be easy to fabricate them on mine too.

here's where I stand as of today..

has something changed on how to upload pics?

On me your email, I’ll take some photos of my cowl flap.

When installing the windscreen does it make much difference whether these 2 cowlings are perfect, or can the windscreen somehow be adjusted up and down, back and forth by say 1/2 in max? I guess no one can or will install them always exactly the same.

New wind screens are slightly over-sized and need to be edge trimmed for specific fit. New windscreen should have enough extra material for more than 1/2" of adjustment.

What is the best fluid to fill the oleos with?

... and in desperate need to see a picture of the center cowling - top fuselage #1156, installation. the piece of aluminum that holds the left and right side cowlings together and serve as a base for the fiberglass glareshield.

Ford hydraulic tractor oil for oleos.
The parts book I think I remember has a picture of the boot cowl parts, two sides, top, and bottom air egress which was galvanized and Now stainless like the firewall.
Not at my base right now so I can’t look it up.

I have all the drawings, and just missing this top center cowling.
On the part manual distances and angles are not depicted, and since I will be frabicating my self, a drawing to see the interaction with the fiberglass glareshield would be of great help.

ah and the brakes, I know it's already been covered.. front or rear installation?

freedom wrote:
ah and the brakes, I know it's already been covered.. front or rear installation?

I would suggest putting them on the front, the rear tire will not be effective for braking.

Most of the "big tire" crowd mounts the calipers on the front of the axle.

Front and up position!